What We Learned After Spending a Day with the Head of AMG

Mercedes-AMG head Tobias Moers gives us the dirt on where the brand is heading and takes us out in the AMG GT C.

By
Kyle Kinard

Dec 7, 2016

Mercedes

On a scorching Vegas morning, we rode shotgun with AMG CEO Tobias Moers in the forthcoming GT C roadster. Our drive route shunted the Vegas Strip for the torturously hot (and aptly named) Valley of Fire State Park. Moers joined a team of AMG engineers for this leg of a month-long voyage that traced from SFO, to LA, to Phoenix, to Denver. This was the final torture test before the GT C appears in showrooms next year, and an opportunity for the AMG boss to leave his seal of approval on the firm's latest creation.

The drive gave us precious seat time with Moers, and insight into character of AMG's latest wunderkind. Here's what we learned:

Rear-wheel-steering is the future, and the future is good. The GT C inherits its Active Rear-Wheel Steering system from its big brother, the race-inspired GT R. Moers cited Porsche's rear-steer setup as a benchmark, and he says that the GT C pivots through tight corners as well as any Porsche GT car. The system allows up to 1.5 degrees of steering angle in each direction from the rear wheels. It sounds negligible, but makes a world of difference. Will the GT C's rear-steer setup proliferate through the AMG line? Moers is uncertain. But it seems like a no-brainer for AMG's coupes and roadsters.

The future, huh? What about an AMG Hybrid? Moers was optimistic about electric and hybrid tech leaking into his performance vehicles. He pointed to the engine downsizing (albeit with a bump in power) in recent AMG vehicles as a necessary sacrifice, but didn't disparage the relentless march toward efficiency.

"It's not up to us to dictate the future regulations," he said. "But you can see with the hypercar space there is room for hybrid (tech) and speed. Maybe some day soon we will see a car (like this GT C) that's hybrid and even quicker."

The top is gone, but the GT C is super stiff. Complaints about a roadster's handling often stem from the heavy braces needed to compensate for its missing roof. But the GT C shares a carbon cross brace and most of its body in white with the GT R. The stiffness of the body is so similar to the GT R's, in fact, that the GT C uses the same suspension springs and dampers.

Mercedes

The GT C makes an C63 AMG S cabriolet look soft. Disclaimer: The AMG C63 S Coupe is a favorite around these parts, and was probably the finest daily driver candidate at our Performance Car of the Year test–it's a sleeper legend in the making. But experienced back-to-back with the GT C, the C63 S Cabriolet looks positively tame. The GT C's aforementioned stiffness translates to an absolutely granite-solid chassis feel on the road. We don't have pure road test numbers yet, but the contrast between the two vehicles is telling of the GT C's ultimate pace.

AMG thinks its buyers are good drivers. For some reason, I expected company figureheads to be as cynical as Automotive Journalists. I was wrong. With the bevy of tuning parameters controlled by ECU ever increasing–throttle response, suspension softness, steering feel, etc–we asked Moers which ones the drivers should have access to. How many is too many?

"We never limit the number of options if possible," he said. "Our customers are buying sports cars so they are educated in driving dynamics. They can be trusted to control the car."

Mercedes

The GT C's interior is marvelous. The GT C will be expensive. No doubt. But the interior feels Benz-like in a way that not all modern Mercedes do. The finishing on every dial, stitch and surface is immaculate. Just look at it!

The GT R may get a black version (maybe). There's no final word on a more extreme GT R, but any discussion at AMG is good news to us.

"Everybody asks me about a GT R Black Series." Moers said. "But, the GT R is already faster than an SLS Black Series at the racetrack, (the GT R) ran a 7:20 at the Nordschleife. We've collected ideas about a Black Series but nothing is decided."

Mercedes

The GT C's name doesn't make sense, but that's okay. Contrary to Mercedes' usually-logical nomenclature, the "C" in GT C has nothing to do with its convertible top or its position in the AMG GT family tree. GT C shares the GT R's wide body and suspension but leaves a bit of power on the table. The "C," however, sits above the AMG GT and GT S. Make sense? No? Oh.

A GT C Coupe is coming… soon! Moers has since revealed a GT C Coupe is on its way. It's a no-brainer when looking at the AMG GT family tree. When we prodded Moers and Mercedes PR about timing, elusive grins and playful winking followed. Our takeaway: expect the GT C Coupe at a certain chilly North American auto show in January, 2017.

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Road & Track participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.